Sonar (SOund Navigation And Ranging) has long been used to detect waterborne or underwater objects. For example, sonar devices may be used to determine depth and bottom topography, detect fish, locate wreckage, etc. In this regard, due to the extreme limits to visibility underwater, sonar is typically the most accurate way to locate objects underwater. Sonar transducer elements, or simply transducers, convert electrical energy into sound or vibrations at a particular frequency. A sonar sound beam is transmitted into and through the water and is reflected from objects it encounters. The transducer receives the reflected sound (the “sonar returns”) and converts the sound energy into electrical energy. Based on the known speed of sound, it is possible to determine the distance to and/or location of the waterborne or underwater objects. The sonar return signals can also be processed to be displayed in graphical form on a display device, giving the user a “picture” of the underwater environment. The signal processor and display may be part of a unit known as a “sonar head” that is connected by a wire to the transducer mounted remotely from the sonar head. Alternatively, the sonar transducer may be an accessory for an integrated marine electronics system offering other features such as GPS, radar, etc.
Mounting of transducers may vary depending on a number of factors, including the design of the watercraft (e.g., boat or motor) to which it may be mounted. For example, a transducer may be mounted with a transom mounting, a portable mounting, a thru-hull mounting, a trolling motor mounting, an over-the-side mounting, or other hull or structure mounting options. Different mountings, however, require different features and often optimizing features for one type of mounting may create difficulties or be undesirable for another type of mounting.